We are also an interracial couple (I am Irish/Italian and my fiance is Frech Canadian/Haitian) and I would like to expose my children to both races so I would prefer to be in a diverse area. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Nearly all of Marin county is very safe and has some of the best towns in the area, but it_s also the most expensive county in Northern California.
Often, it_s not the town, but what area of the town. As an example, the Rockridge area of Oakland is one of the most interesting neighborhoods in the area and is safe. There are people in the streets at night and places with sidewalk dining. Other parts of the city are equally safe, but in others one needs to be extremely cautious at night.
Richmond was mention earlier. While the center and north are not safe places, the east including the hills are safe. Point Richmond is one of the quaintest neighborhood in the Bay Area and is part of the city, but geographically separated from the rest of town and is safe.
An example of an interesting city wiyh a good school system is Berkeley. Most places in the Bay Area are tolrerant of racial difference, but Berkeley is the most tolerant. While a couple of small areas are a little questionable, most are safe, an due to the university and cultural activities many streets are lively at night. But it isn_t cheap. Nearby towns like El Cerrito are cheaper and in 10-15 minutes you can be in downtown Berkeley. I like the town, others don_t.
Being near a Bart station is something I like about some of the places I have lived including now.
Suggesting place for you depends on interest or finances and interests. If you are rich and have horses, then Woodside is the town for you. Now that_s an extremely example to some, but more info is needed from you.There are some areas that are safe, but to my taste, are extremely boring.
So fill us in a little more.
It is actually down the hwy 80 corridor, east of San Francisco
Housing is still affordable (under 1 million) unlike San Francisco
You can also look into homes in Albany,El Cerrito or Walnut Creek. (Walnut Creek is not as diverse as the other cities, but very safe with good schools
Good luck in your search !!!
Start with the prices to determine what you can afford and go from there. Good Luck.
But one of the best things about Benicia is the small town atmosphere. There seem to be parades, festivals every month, we have outdoor Friday night movies at the City park during the summer, every Thursday is Farmers Market day at the bottom of First St. near the water. When you come out to the Bay Area you really should check out our town, most people who visit here love it. Have dinner at the Union Hotel. Good Luck
Of course there_s also SF which is hugely diverse but as you must know it is very expensive and it_s hard to say what school your children will end up in because of an amazing plan by the last supervisor that I believe is still in place that required students to be bussed to places an hour away instead of going to the school down the street. Some suburbs to the south are pretty diverse, Daly City (huge Philipino population), _ South San Francisco, San Mateo..., others are largely white (brisbane, millbrae, burlingame). They get a lot of fog in this area (San Francisco too). so if you like sunny summers this won_t be the place for you.
Hope this helps....
PS Stay away from Richmond it is largely unsafe.
UPDATE: Based on your updated info I would probably recommend Orinda, their schools have a very good reputation and it_s very safe. The downside is it_s not that diverse, but I doubt you_d feel discriminated against there. Piedmont is an enclave of Oakland which is safe and should have good schools (I_m not sure). It_s not that diverse, but very close to a lot of diversity.
